Fluid-operated mechanism for railway switches



Jan. 20, 1931. w. s. EPPLEY FLUID OPERATED MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed Aug. 20. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet J.

O gwuento'z A W12 hmanmm Maul 1am N8 Jan. 20, 1931. w. s. EPPLEY 1,789,521

FLUID OPERATEDMECHANISH FOR RAILWAY svu'rcass Filed Aug. 20, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i i t .22

I g I g; 2 E5 Z 21 21 56 671;; Z. .46 g n 3 az Jan. 20, 1931.

w. s'. EPPLEY 1,789,621

FLUID OPERATEDMECHANISM FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed Aug. 30, 1929 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I of electric railways.

1. l'and 2,"is-10c'ated in the cylinder 251,}iridh2is WALTER s ErPLEir, or 2031:, ,PE Ns' LV NI I: r j

mummmm mcmmsm noise iiAiiiwni swr rciiEs i i Thisinventionrelzitesftoimprovements in Referring-tofthe-drawings; th iiiiinml' 10 1 7 fiuidoperatedzswitch Ineehani'sm forrailway '5 sl nietes a; inetalibox, orca'i'singheving' 'a switches and is especially adapted for the 'op'- j gbottoml-l; side {Walls 12 Iand 1'3; end walls] e'ration of street railway switchesfroincars l lhndlriende crosswise partition 16 which One object of the invention is to-provide'fan comp ei'tmentsf-j improved mechanism; connected w1th the Ajhonzontai 1 lenge' 17 extends all the divides the interior of-the casing into two p 3 switch-bar, by which thelatter'may be oper -eroundthe'topedge-ofthe casing and isrprogv ated by fluid pressure and therehy' avoi'dth'e, ided with boit-holes -lgjsb thatg'cgver a v use ofsolenoids and coils and the expense of beseated upon-seid fiangewith an interposed v 7 mai taining the same together-withvtheir op;gaskct zuid tllQCQR-GI' then b'olteddown to 1V erating objections. se 1 t11e esir and-itsg tw gmpg tm t 7 Another object 7 fluid-pressure switch operating mechanism fflnzoneof the'casing eompa tmem's;;r p1 v r 15 which will operatethe switch-bar positively an elec tric .motor= 19'-whieh 'i'ss'o,designed? 7 'sto provide zin improved the; entrance of waiter anal-dim;

, in both directions and which will" avoid zi-nd -wir'ed'thait it inay beroteted in"either throwing the pointin-either direction withf a ofltwo' directions. according.the comple-Y I V snap and alsoavoid the splashing of water as tienj or-i electric-circuits jthrough it"s connee,

the=po1nt reaches 1ts limit o'fmovelnent." 1 b10115; .0bV1o'uslV ;I"1neke--no'-clain1 to an? A further object-is to provide anirnproved structural features'of the-jinotor any mo p I which 'theroperating pressure may e Varied answer my purposej tosuit-the particular switch-bar to which itis- In the other of 7 connected and therebyfperrnit the heel of the, i provide my improved fl idraw -d vi e switch-bar to be kepttightto,preventro'ck which will now be explained.)

fluid-pressure switch-operatingmechamsrnby; torcapableiof"reversal in its operation will f.- j r,

v ingof the sameend: sword derailn ent oi the Thei'fiuid-pressure def'ces are ir-555m:

. d 'bled' andmounted oneloase 20 which mm Aj'still further ohiecti'sto provide inimijs-proVidedwitlitwo'spacedepart Vertically 1 I proved fluid-pressure switch-operatedi nechw eitendii'lg bloeks211 .Each of these blocks struction and whichmay beoperatedzatlen 1S- pro'videdfinthis instence; with au-horiy 1 extremely lowmaintenance cost. i V I With theseyandother" objects in View, the bolted ,down on topfo'fRits rllock bolts' 2?} invention is illustrated in the accompanying being' utilized,forthispurpose,i j i drawings wherein,-'- vi Thetwofheadstherefore iitendwerticdlly 3 Fig; 1 shows'theapparatus in the .trackway above the blocks butinspeced relation-s casing with the cover of'the latter removed that a cylinder 25,1naybeinserted-h'orizonand in top View. V r tallyhetween' the hea-ds fatnd held clamped} 'Fig. 2 illustrates the fluid-pressure mecha- 1 therebetween sort-hat a tight jointibetween nism Tin-front elevation witha portion of the the heads and the opposite ends of the cylin;

casing inverti alsection. r V Y der willbe effected- I I we I gFi 3 shows the fluid ressure'mechanisrn "The lon itudinal i iof th C finder g, vv.,b. M w ..a in'endielevationand aportionof thecasing. 1n theretorei extends inehorizontelf directionf 1 4 Ivertical section fas viewed on the line33 of i A iston 27 sh0wi1 in broken lines'in-Fi s; It 1 7 V v 7. H b

. Fig. 4 illustrates the s'a me as iriewed'oir a stem 28, wliiclre'Xt-ends through one foi tl1e0 the line of Fig. 1 and" p I heads 22 and passes through ag'stuflingbox' v Fig. 5 shows'the switchin'vertical section 29, which effects a tight-joint about said and the casingcontaining the ""o peralting' stern.

Vmje'chanism at the side thereo i l f 'nism' whichshall beextreinely's'imple in con supports a,cylinder headf22and "each he'a d .pipe 30 Opening into the interior through one in the extension32, so that whenithe pres the other head 22 and thislatter pipe 35 leads head 22, andsaid pipe leads'to and has 0011- nection with one side ol arotarypump 31 and said pipe has a vertical extension 32, with an intake valve at the lower. end thereof. A relief-valve 34: is also provided sure in the pipes and 32reaches a predetermined polnt the valve 34 will open and vent said pipes.

At the opposite end of the cylinder 25,

there is another pipe 35 extending through to the opposite'side of :tl'ie rotarypump 31 and also has a depending extension3'6 with an intake valve 37 therein. A relief or check valve 38 is also attached to the pipes 35 and,

36 to vent pressurein excess of a predetermined amount from said pipes. s

- Both intake valves. 33 and 37 are adjust able 'as are also the relief valves 34: and 38. In practice, the compartment containing;

7 the cylinder and pump will be supplied with oil and both of the valves 33 and 37 will be submerged in such oil for a presently be explained.

The rotary pump 31,.has a purpose that will the pump maybe operated and the pump is ofvawellknown form and capable of 0perationineither direction of rotation of its "shaft.

[By this means, if the pump-shaft 39, is

.rotated infon edirection, oil will be drawn through one of the valves 33 or 37 and into.

one side of the pump and then forced out from the opposite side of the pump into )i es or as the casema Y be and delivered under pressure to one or the other end of the cylinder 25. p 7

If, for'example, the pump be operated to draw oil through valve 33 and pipes 32" and 30 into the one side of the pump and then force it out through the opposite side of said pump, the forced oil will be driven through pipe 35, into the cylinder 25, and force the piston 27, from the right tothe left end of that cylinder and thereby retract the stem 28. During this operation, the oil in thecylinder atthe rear of the piston, will be drawn out by thepump and very little, ifv

any, oil will have to pass through the check valve 33 sothat the valves 33 and 37 simply operate to keep the system supplied with forced into the oil, because a quantity of oil is exhausted from the cylinder at one side of the piston and passed through the pump. and then cylinder at the opposite side of the piston.

If' however, the piston is moved overby incoming oil and the pump continues to operate for a short-period, then the surplus oil will b p be forced out through therelief valve on the charging side of the cylinder.

The, piston-stem; 28, is connected to; a rod single shaft 39 extending horizontally therefrom by which 40, which latter extends through the wall 15 of the casing and connects with the switchbar in theusual way so that when the piston 27 is moved in one direction, the switch-bar will-be thrownin a corresponding direction.

The operation of the pump31 controls the direction of movement of the piston, its stem" and the switch-bar, while the pump-operation isjcontrolled by amotor ll located in the other compartment of'the casing 10 which motor may also be operated in eitherdirec tion. I

Ijprovide a" flexible connecting member 42 between the shaftof the motor and the pumpshaft 39 which connection extendsthrough an opening in theparti-tion 16 of the casing;

The motor is'providedi with binding posts 43.44, .45 and 46 respectively to which wires are attached and the wiring is such that the motor may be operated or revolved in either of two direct ons.

'lhemeans for controlling the circuits to the-motor to effect its rotation in either direction. forms no part of the present invention, but is. to form. the subject of a separate application for patent.

' This control means is locatedon a pole or support adjacent to theswitch and is preferably operated through. connections formed iathe trolley wire byimanipulation of the s controllerleveron the car by the motorman.

The casing, containing themotor in one.

compartment and the pump andpiston mechanism in the othercompartme'nt in. which latter oil is poured to a depth-at, least sufficient to completely submerge the intake valves 33 and 37, is placed in the roadbed between the track-rails and at the switchblade and the piston. stem 28 is connected with the switch-blade by a-rod 40.

manipulation of the controller so as tov either close or leave open the circuit to the: motor. This 'however, forms no part, of the present invention and need not be described or explained herein.

Having described my invention, I claim,-

1. In a railway switch-operatingme'chanis m the combination with a cylinder, of a fluid-operated, piston in. said cylinder, said piston having a stem for connectionwi'th a railway sWitch bana reversible rotary pump, always open pipe-connections direct from one side of the pump to one side of the piston in said cylinder always.open pipeeconneca tions direct from the other side at thelrever sr ible rotarypump to the-opposite side ,ofthe piston in said cylinder whereby the pump it- 3 self will be the onlycintervening thingfin the c i connections; between the; two sides; of the piston, and meansffor rotating the pump in 1 either direction andfcause are draw fluid ,7 v 7 from one side of the piston while it supplies, V Y fluid to the opposite'side of the piston. 2. In a railway""switch operated mecha: I nism the combination with a-railway 'switchbar, of a casing having a compartment with a fluid therein, a cylinder in said compartment, a fluid-operatedpiston i'n'said'cylinder, f said piston having astem connectedto'the, i

'saidjswitch bana pump in said fluidicomg.

I the'p'ump to one side ofthepiston in said cyl-' partment, pipeconnections fromone side of inder, said connections having an extension with a check-valved inlet submerged in the fluid of said compartment, pipe connections from the other side of the pump to the op,- posite side of thepiston in said cylinder, said. latter connections also having an extension 7 with a check-valvedinlet that is also sub-" I merged in the fluid of said compartment and reversible means for operating the pump in either of two directionsto draw fluids from c v one of the pipe; connections 'and'lfrom oneside of the piston to and through thepump and 7 force said fluidthrough theother "connections to the opposite side-ofthepiston, v I

3. In a railway switch-operating mechanism the combination with "a cylindenpf a fluid-operated piston inthe cylinder, .said

' 'piston' having a stem for connection with a switch-bar, a pump having-two connections,

piping establishing-continuous communica-' tion between one of the pump-connections and v one side of the piston in said cylinder, sepa- 40 rate piping establishing continuous 'communication between the other of said pump connections and the opposite side of piston in said cylinder and-means'for operating the pump in either oi -two directions to draw fluid direct from onesideof the piston and force it direct to the opposite side of said -pistonp f. 1 f 1 i I Y In testimony'whereof I aflizft my signature. 7 I 4 WALTER S :EPPLEY. 

